Gardening Methods

Residential lawn and garden sprikler system, Orange County NY?

Can I feed the solenoid valve manifold directly from an outside water spigot? Can I use an inline back flow preventer attached to the spigot or do I need an automatic siphon/drain valve for each circuit?

You can buy one 1″ size vacume breaker and leave it above ground, and have all of the irrigation vlaves under ground in a plastic valve box. Where you live probably gets cold, so remember to use all galvanized pipe for the vacume breaker, because it will be above ground and exposed to the cold.

The reason you have to set the vacume breaker 6″ – to 12″ above the highest spray head or drip line is so that the water can’t get mixed back into the water that goes into your home.

Hers why. Lets say that you keep your irrigation on for 9- 10 months out of the year, and you turn it off for winter. All of the water in the sytem is going to go bad from siting for 2 months. When you turn on your irrigation in the spring the vacume breaker (or Back flo) will not allow the tainted water to go into the house, and it won’t make you sick.

Google the word back flo and you will see the device I am talking about.

PVC Irrigation System, Automatic Water Timers, and Rain Barrel System